


One Small Problem

by I May Age Regress (shnuffeluv)



Series: Small Problems with "Big" Answers [1]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play, Nonverbal Communication, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 17:03:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17853617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/I%20May%20Age%20Regress
Summary: Tim is stressed and wants to relax. Unfortunately, Tony comes back to their dorm earlier than expected.





	One Small Problem

Tim was exhausted. He had been having test after test and essay after essay that week, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry for a few hours. He was completely beat. The only problem with relaxing, however, was that if he relaxed with this much stress, he would be regressing, and his dorm mate didn't even know that age regression was a thing. Tony was a great guy. Charming, and funny, and even kind when he wanted to be. But Tim doubted he'd ever let Tim regress when he was around. Most people found it too weird to entertain it more than once.

So he did it in secret. Tony had a three-hour class on Wednesday nights, and when that Wednesday came around, he was prepared. He brought out a coloring book and crayons, and his lion, and the chew necklace he used instead of a pacifier, and got settled in to relax. It almost worked, too. He could feel the tension leaving his shoulders as he sucked on the necklace and spent his time coloring, when Tony walked into the room. "Tim, I'm b--" Tony didn't finish his sentence. Tim looked at him, a deer caught in headlights. "What are you doing?"

Tears came to Tim's eyes and he could feel his breathing pick up, and Tony was immediately closing the dorm room's door and coming over to him. "Hey, hey, Tim? You all right, buddy?"

Tim couldn't breathe. He was beyond panicked and he couldn't breathe. He clutched Lion close to his chest and tried to even his breathing the way he was taught, but he was crying too hard.

Tony gently picked up the coloring book and crayons, moving them to Tim's desk before he climbed on the bed, putting his hand on Tim's chest. "Buddy, you're hyperventilating. I need you to do deep breaths with me, all right? In, two three four. Hold, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight."

Tim followed the instructions as best as he could. It didn't help a whole bunch but he felt less like he was gonna throw up. He was still crying, and still very much little, and he wasn't sure he could explain this whole thing to Tony, especially since he was bordering nonverbal. And he knew Tony would want an explanation. He was incredibly smart, even if most people ragged on him for being a Phys Ed major. He'd want to understand.

"Hey, there we go," Tony soothed, as Tim's breathing slowed to a normal rate. "You okay, there?"

Tim wiped at some of the tears that were still on his cheeks and nodded. He knew that wasn't completely true, but he was as close as he could be to okay nowadays.

"Can you talk at all? Or is this one of the times you're nonverbal?" Tony asked.

Tim mimed typing on a phone and Tony passed his phone over, opening the memo app. Tim quickly typed  _nonverbal_  and showed it to Tony.

"Okay, that's okay," Tony said. "Can you explain what you were just...doing?"

Tim exited Tony's memo app and opened up Google, typing in  _age regression_  and pulling up an article for Tony to read. When he passed the phone back over, Tony took one look at the title and his eyebrows shot up. "I read about this the other day in my psychology class," he said. He looked up at Tim. "So you use this to relax?"

Tim nodded.

"And I take it you weren't expecting my class to have a test today that would let me get out early," Tony said. "Which would be why you had everything out to use and then I walked in..." Tony groaned. "Aw, man, Tim. I'm sorry for giving you a panic attack."

Tim shrugged. Really, it wasn't Tony's fault.

"Do you have anyone else who...knows about this? Who helps you?" Tony asked.

Tim shook his head. Much as that would be nice, he was the only one who knew about his secret at college.

"Would you like some help?" Tony asked. "Or at least, you know, someone around who doesn't judge? Because I can do either. If it helps you relax, I'd be more than happy to help, even if that help is just to disappear to the library for an hour or two."

Tim felt his eyes sting with a fresh round of tears. Tony was, by far, the most accepting person he had ever met, coming to this or anything else. He wrapped his arms around Tony in a hug and buried his head in Tony's chest.

"Hey, it's okay," Tony murmured. "Is that saying you want my help?"

Tim nodded.

Tony rubbed his back and hummed. "Okay. Anything I can do for you right now?"

Tim whined. He hated talking, even on the days that he  _could_  do it.

"Do you want any water?" Tony asked.

Tim nodded, and Tony got off the bed, going to the minifridge and grabbing a bottle, opening it and passing it to Tim. "Here you go, buddy," he said.

Gratefully, Tim took it and took a sip. When he was done, Tony took it and screwed the cap back on. "Do you need me to leave? To get back to doing whatever you were doing?" he asked.

Tim shook his head, pointing to his desk.

"Ah, you want to color?" Tony asked.

Tim nodded.

Tony grabbed the stuff and passed it back to Tim. "Is there anything else you need?" Tony asked.

Tim didn't think so. He shook his head and started to color.

"All right. If you need anything, Tim, and I mean anything, you just say the word," Tony said. "I'll be watching Netflix, but I don't mind being interrupted, okay?"

Tim nodded and smiled. Tony ruffled his hair and Tim giggled a little. Tony laughed with him. "All right. I'll be doing my thing, don't be afraid to do yours."

And when Tony grabbed his laptop and started watching Netflix, Tim held Lion close to his chest and thought that really, he couldn't ask for a better dorm mate. Tony was full of surprises, but this was one surprise that he certainly didn't mind.


End file.
